Satellite-Based Low Power Resource Meter Reading Systems and Methods

ABSTRACT

Systems and methods for monitoring a utility resource are disclosed. One system includes utility resource usage capture components connected to a utility resource management computing system via a satellite communications network. Each of the utility resource usage capture components includes a utility resource meter interface and a satellite communication module. The utility resource meter interface is configured to communicate with different types of utility resource meters from different manufacturers. Each of the utility resource usage capture components has a low power state and an operational state, and is configured to automatically enter the operational state, interrogate an associated utility resource meter, communicate the reading via the satellite communication module, and return to the low power state. The utility resource management computing system stores information regarding a location of each of the utility resource usage capture components and receives and stores readings from each of the utility resource usage capture components.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application claims priority from U.S. Provisional PatentApplication No. 61/460,257, filed Dec. 29, 2010, the disclosure of whichis hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present application relates generally to utility resource meterreading and communications. In particular, the present applicationrelates generally to systems and methods for satellite-based low powerresource meter reading.

BACKGROUND

Resource meters, in particular utility resource meters, are configuredto monitor usage of a particular resource over time. For example,various utilities, such as electrical utilities, water utilities, gasutilities, or other utility providers wish to monitor usage of theresource that they provide, and bill customers of that utility accordingto usage. Resource meters are therefore placed at each billed locationto determine usage at that location to ensure that resource usage isaccurately captured.

To facilitate accurate reading of such resource meters, a variety ofschemes have been developed. Some systems, in particular for electricityusage meters, where power and data communications capabilities aretypically available, the meter itself can be configured to communicatedata to a centralized data collection location. Alternatively, in caseswhere a meter may be powered but may lack a data connection, the metermay be outfitted with a radio frequency transceiver. In such cases, autility will send a mobile interrogation system (typically, a vehicletravelling through neighborhoods in which the utility provides theresource) through the neighborhood, and that mobile interrogation systemwill obtain a reading wirelessly from the meter or communication deviceassociated with the reader, thereby eliminating the need for each readerto be personally viewed and recorded by an employee of the utility.These systems typically include “smart meter” systems, that providerealtime or near-realtime monitoring of resource usage.

Although the above metering systems provide improved meter readingefficiency, there are circumstances in which such systems do not workwell. In particular, where no localized communication system and nopower source are available at the meter location, radio frequencyinterrogation and wireline data communication are not possible. This maybe due to a remote location of the meter, or generally wide geographicdispersement of meters, such that existing interrogation systems areimpracticable. For example, in the case of water metering, it is commonin rural areas for water meters to be located on property far fromroads, electrical lines, or data connections. In such circumstances, itis impossible to provide wireline communication, and either cellularcommunication or RF, “drive-by” approaches are not feasible as well, dueto the unavailability of a data signal, or simply due to an issue ofdriving past every meter being cost prohibitive.

In these circumstances, a variety of simpler, manual approaches havebeen considered. Currently, it is common for ranchers, farmers, or othergeographically remote water users to self-report water usage on amonthly basis. A water utility may provide a coupon book includingdiscounted water usage in exchange for accurate, monthly water meterreadings from each utility customer. The customer is then responsiblefor viewing each meter associated with him/her, and entering thosereadings either on paper or into a web interface. Additionally, itrequires the customer to manually read each meter on that customer'sproperty each month. This solution therefore suffers from many problemsincluding under- and over-reporting of water usage, unresponsiveness onthe part of the utility customer, or other issues. Furthermore, it canbe difficult to determine when a particular water main or other resourceconduit has been compromised, since usage cannot be reliably monitored.Therefore, in particular for utility districts that distribute utilityresources to remote areas where power, communication, or otherwisereading of a meter may be impractical, there remain a number ofshortcomings in existing systems.

For these and other reasons, improvements are desirable.

SUMMARY

In accordance with the following disclosure, the above and other issuesare addressed by the following:

In a first aspect, a system for monitoring a utility resource isdisclosed. The system includes a plurality of utility resource usagecapture components connected to a utility resource management computingsystem via a satellite communications network. Each of the utilityresource usage capture components includes a utility resource meterinterface and a satellite communication module. The utility resourcemeter interface is configured to communicate with a plurality ofdifferent types of utility resource meters from a plurality of differentmanufacturers. Each of the plurality of utility resource usage capturecomponents has a low power state and an operational state and configuredto automatically enter the operational state, interrogate an associatedutility resource meter to obtain a reading and communicate the readingvia the satellite communication module, and return to the low powerstate. The utility resource management computing system storesinformation regarding a location of each of the utility resource usagecapture components and is configured to receive and store readings fromeach of the plurality of utility resource usage capture components.

In a second aspect, a method of monitoring usage of a utility resourceis disclosed. The method includes associating a plurality of utilityresource usage capture components with a plurality of utility resourcemeters within a utility network, the plurality of utility resourcemeters including utility resource meters made by a plurality ofdifferent manufacturers, each of the plurality of utility resource usagecapture components having a low power state and an operational state.The method also includes capturing an identity of each utility resourceusage capture component and associating the identity with a location ofthe utility resource meter, a resource user, and a utility. The methodfurther includes automatically receiving, via a satellite communicationlink, periodic updates from each of the plurality of utility resourcemeters at the associated plurality of utility resource usage capturecomponents.

In a third aspect, a water monitoring system includes a plurality ofwater usage capture components communicatively connected to a watermanagement computing system via a message relay device of a satellitecommunications network. The water usage capture components arepositioned at known locations, and are each communicatively connected toa different installed water meter across a water district. Each waterusage capture component lacks a connection to an external power source,and water flow passing each water meter and associated water usagecapture component is unobstructed. Each water usage capture componentsincludes a water meter interface configured to communicate with aplurality of different types of water meters from a plurality ofdifferent manufacturers, each of the plurality of water usage capturecomponents having a low power state and an operational state andconfigured to automatically enter the operational state, interrogate anassociated water meter to obtain a reading, and return to the low powerstate. Each water usage capture component further includes a satellitecommunication module configured to communicate the reading to a remotesystem. The water management computing system includes a watermanagement database storing information regarding a location of each ofthe plurality of water usage capture components and configured toreceive and store readings from each of the plurality of water usagecapture components.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a satellite-based low power resource meterreading system, according to an example embodiment;

FIG. 2 is a schematic layout of an example water district in which awater monitoring system could be installed and which could be analyzedwith such a system, according to an example embodiment of the presentdisclosure;

FIG. 3 is a flowchart of a method of operation of a satellite-based lowpower resource meter reading system, according to an example embodiment;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an example water meter reading deviceaccording to a possible embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 5 is another view of the example water meter reading device of FIG.4;

FIG. 6 is another view of the example water meter reading device of FIG.4;

FIG. 7 is another view of the example water meter reading device of FIG.4;

FIG. 8 is a bottom view of the antenna assembly of the example watermeter reading device of FIG. 4;

FIG. 9A is a top perspective view of the antenna mount of the examplewater meter reading device of FIG. 4;

FIG. 9B is a bottom perspective view of the antenna mount of the examplewater meter reading device of FIG. 4;

FIG. 10A is a side perspective view of the bottom cap of the examplewater meter reading device of FIG. 4;

FIG. 10B is a top perspective view of the bottom cap of the examplewater meter reading device of FIG. 4, removed from the water meterreading device;

FIG. 11 is a side perspective view of a second example embodiment of awater meter reading device;

FIG. 12 is an exploded side perspective view of the water meter readingdevice of FIG. 11;

FIG. 13 is a close-up perspective view of a satellite communicationmodule included in the water meter reading device of FIG. 11;

FIG. 14 is a side exploded view of a battery assembly included withinthe water meter reading device of FIG. 11;

FIG. 15 is a generalized schematic diagram of an example water meterreading device

FIG. 16 is a generalized schematic diagram of one example of a circuitboard that can be included in the example water meter reading device ofFIG. 15;

FIG. 17 is a timing diagram illustrating interrogation of a water meterat a water meter interface, according to an example embodiment;

FIG. 18 is an example state diagram useable in the water meter readingdevice to interrogate a water meter at a water meter interface,according to an example embodiment;

FIG. 19 is a flow chart of an example method of operation of a watermeter reading device according to a possible embodiment of the presentdisclosure;

FIG. 20 is a logical block diagram illustrating a data layout of autility resource usage database, according to an example embodiment ofthe present disclosure;

FIG. 21 is a flowchart of a method of managing received utility resourceusage information in a utility resource usage database, according to anexample embodiment;

FIG. 22 is a logical block diagram of a utility management applicationcapable of interfacing with a utility resource usage database, accordingto an example embodiment;

FIG. 23 is a flowchart of a method of managing utility resource capturecomponents, according to an example embodiment;

FIG. 24 is an example schematic user interface of a web application fora utility management application for creating a new customer waterutility in the application, according to an example embodiment;

FIG. 25 is an example schematic user interface of a web application fora utility management application for maintaining users within theapplication, according to an example embodiment;

FIG. 26 is an example schematic user interface of a web application fora utility management application for activating one or more utilityresource usage capture components, according to an example embodiment;

FIG. 27 is an example schematic user interface of a web application fora utility management application for displaying activation status of oneor more utility resource usage capture components, according to anexample embodiment;

FIG. 28 is an example schematic user interface of a web application fora utility management application for selecting one or more locations tobe associated with a particular utility resource usage capturecomponent, according to an example embodiment;

FIG. 29 is an example schematic user interface of a web application fora utility management application for generating installation sheets foruse by an installer to complete installation of one or more utilityresource usage capture components, according to an example embodiment;

FIG. 30 is an example schematic user interface of a web application fora utility management application for web-entry of installation detailsregarding one or more utility resource usage capture components,according to an example embodiment;

FIG. 31 is a second example schematic user interface of a webapplication for a utility management application for web-entry ofinstallation details regarding one or more utility resource usagecapture components, according to an example embodiment;

FIG. 32 is an example schematic user interface of a web application fora utility management application for validating an installation of autility resource usage capture component at a particular site orlocation, according to an example embodiment;

FIG. 33 is an example schematic user interface of a web application fora utility management application for modifying details regarding alocation of one or more utility resource usage capture componentsassociated with a particular billed resource user, according to anexample embodiment;

FIG. 34 is an example schematic user interface of a web application fora utility management application for modifying details regarding aparticular billed customer location, according to an example embodiment;

FIG. 35 is an example schematic user interface of a web application fora utility management application providing an administrative dashboard,according to an example embodiment;

FIG. 36 is an example schematic user interface of a web application fora utility management application providing a water utility dashboard,according to an example embodiment;

FIG. 37 is an example schematic user interface of a web application fora utility management application providing a water user dashboard,according to an example embodiment;

FIG. 38 is an example schematic user interface of a web application fora utility management application providing a water utility dashboard inthe event of a fast reporting process, according to an exampleembodiment; and

FIG. 39 is an example schematic user interface illustrating zoneanalysis metrics available via a web application for a utilitymanagement application.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Various embodiments of the present invention will be described in detailwith reference to the drawings, wherein like reference numeralsrepresent like parts and assemblies throughout the several views.Reference to various embodiments does not limit the scope of theinvention, which is limited only by the scope of the claims attachedhereto. Additionally, any examples set forth in this specification arenot intended to be limiting and merely set forth some of the manypossible embodiments for the claimed invention.

The logical operations of some of the various embodiments of thedisclosure described herein are implemented as: (1) a sequence ofcomputer implemented steps, operations, or procedures running on aprogrammable circuit within a computer, and/or (2) a sequence ofcomputer implemented steps, operations, or procedures running on aprogrammable circuit within a directory system, database, or compiler.As such, the various methods disclosed herein could be embodied withinsystems, and systems disclosed herein may be used to perform the methodsdisclosed.

In general the present disclosure relates to systems and methods forsatellite-based low power resource meter reading. The systems andmethods described herein include, in some embodiments, a utilityresource usage capture component that can be interfaced to a utilityresource usage meter. The component can communicate with a variety ofdifferent types of meters, and is configured for low-power, long lifeoperation. In such embodiments, the component can include a low powerstate and an operational state. When operational, the component canobtain a reading from a utility resource usage meter and communicatethat reading to a remote system for aggregation and analysis.

As will be apparent from the embodiments discussed herein, the methodsand systems disclosed provide a number of advantages over existing meterreading components. For example, the components discussed in the contextof the present disclosure are by default only active for a small portionof the day (typically about 30 seconds), thereby ensuring very littlepower usage. Additionally, through use of satellite communication, thecomponents of the systems described herein can be installed asstand-alone devices (i.e., without supporting data or powerrequirements) in remote locations. Furthermore, the components discussedherein generally are developed to accommodate meters from a plurality ofdifferent manufacturers, and while formatting data for access andanalysis by users within a particular water district, by the waterdistrict itself, or by system administrators accessing more than onesuch water district, for example for comparative and deductive analysisof water usage.

A. Overall Systems and Methods for Satellite-Based Resource MeterReading

Referring now to FIGS. 1-3, systems and methods for an exampleembodiment of satellite-based low power resource meter readingarrangement are disclosed. The systems and methods discussed herein canbe adapted to a variety of uses, for example, for monitoring usage orstatus of meters associated with assets, such as utility resources(e.g., water, gas, or electricity), or for monitoring other types ofwidely dispersed assets, such as oil wells, irrigation systems, orvarious types of natural resources. In general, the term “meter”corresponds with any electrical or mechanical system capable ofmonitoring and measuring usage or status of a particular resource orasset.

FIG. 1 illustrates an example satellite-based low power resource meterreading system 10, according to an example embodiment. In the embodimentshown, the system 10 includes a satellite 12 communicatively connectedto a plurality of utility resource usage capture components 100, as wellas to a base station 14.

Each of the utility resource usage capture components 100 is generallyconstructed for periodic communication with the satellite 12. Generally,each utility resource usage capture component 100 can be associated witha utility resource usage meter, shown as water meters 16 a-b. In variousembodiments, the water meters 16 a-b are associated with differentresource users 18 a-b (e.g., utility customers), and are placed atdifferent locations in a utility distribution system, such as the waterdistrict of FIG. 2. In such embodiments, the water meters 16 a-b can bea same type of water meter, or can be different types of water meters,such as would be manufactured and provided to resource users 18 a-b bydifferent manufacturers. As discussed below, each of the utilityresource usage capture components 100 are configured to interrogatemeters having a variety of different communication standards, and toreceive and translate responsive data for communication back to acentralized system via the satellite 12.

Generally, the water meters 16 a-b can be located either in proximity todata and/or power delivery services, or separate from such services.This is because, as further discussed below, each of the utilityresource usage capture components 100 is generally configured such thatno external power source (e.g., an electrical source or someregenerative form of energy) or data network (wired or radiofrequency-wireless) is required to be present. As such, the system 10 isparticularly adapted to be capable of distribution across rural orsparsely populated or undeveloped areas where such wired or wirelesscommunications networks and wired power might be present. Additionaldetails regarding operation of the utility resource usage capturecomponents are provided in part B, below.

In the embodiment shown, the base station 14 is generally depicted asproviding bidirectional communication with one or more satellites 12,i.e., for receiving data from the utility resource usage capturecomponents 100 and sending configuration information and/or datarequests to one or more such components 100. The base station 14 iscommunicatively connected to one or more message relay devices 20,represented as a computing system in the embodiment shown. The relaydevice 20 as shown provides data aggregation and communication to athird party system on behalf of a satellite service provider.

In various embodiments, the satellite 12 can be either part of a networkof similar satellites, such as a low earth orbit satellite or ageostationary satellite. Regardless of the type used, the base station14 and utility resource usage capture components 100 are configured tocommunicate using the satellite 12. Although it is noted that onesatellite is described herein, it is possible that, depending upontiming and positioning of the base station 14 and the utility resourceusage capture components 100, more than one satellite 12 may be used toestablish a communicative connection from the utility resource usagecapture components 100 to a remote data collection system.

In some embodiments, the satellite 12, base station 14, relay device 20and optionally a portion of the utility resource usage capturecomponents 100 configured for satellite communication can be madeavailable by one or more satellite communications providers, such as thecombination of Skywave Mobile Communications of Ottawa, Ontario, andInmarsat PLC of London, United Kingdom. In alternative embodiments,other satellite providers could be used as well.

In the embodiment shown, a utility resource management computing system22 is communicatively connected to the relay device 20 by any knowncommunicative connection (e.g., the Internet). The utility resourcemanagement computing system 22 generally is administered by a utilityresource usage tracking provider. In the case where the utility beingtracked is a water utility, the utility resource management computingsystem 22 can be administered by an entity that provides data servicesto one or more water districts.

The utility resource management computing system 22 manages a utilityresource usage database 24, which stores data regarding the locationsand operation of each of the utility resource usage capture components100. Generally, the utility resource usage database 24 gathers andtransmits data describing the health and status of the various utilityresource usage capture components 100, and stores a record of theregistered utility resource usage capture components 100. The utilityresource management computing system 22 receives periodic data from eachof the components 100 via the satellite 12, base station 14, and relaydevice 20, including for example an operating health and status of eachof the utility resource usage capture components 100 and a reading fromeach of the associated and connected water meters 16 a-b. Although insome embodiments discussed herein daily updates are provided, it isrecognized that other frequencies could be used as well, such as hourlyupdates in the event an alert or other abnormal usage pattern isdetected.

In the embodiment shown, a web server 26 is communicatively connected tothe utility resource management computing system 22, and provides a webapplication to one or more computing systems 28 a-b for accessing datain the utility resource usage database 24, for example via the Internet29. The web application hosted by web server 26 can provide a variety offunctions, including registration and entry of details regarding each ofthe utility resource usage capture components 100 by an installer ofthose components, user/customer management, transmitting commands to orviewing status of one or more utility resource usage capture components100, or analyzing resource usage patterns, using a variety ofdashboards. Additional details regarding contents and usage of data inthe utility resource usage database 24, as well as operation of the webserver 26, are provided below in Parts C-D.

In the embodiment shown, computing system 28 a-b are associated withusers 30 a-b, who can represent, in various embodiments, different roleshaving access to different portions of a web application provided by webserver 26. For example, users 30 a-b could be administrators of thesystem 10, or in other words affiliated with an entity providing accessto the data in the system 10 and facilitating collection of that data.One or more of the users 30 a-b could alternatively represent a customerof that entity, such as a water district or other utility electing touser the entity for data management and which corresponds to a utilityresource provider. Still other users could be resource users 18 a-b(i.e., customers of the utility resource provider), such that a usercould track his/her own resource usage.

In some embodiments of the system 10, the system is particularly adaptedfor use in connection with one or more water utilities, such as a ruralwater district. However, other types of utilities or resourcedistribution systems could be equivalently be monitored. For example, anelectrical or gas utility could be monitored, as well as an oil well, anirrigation management system (e.g., for a farm or golf course), a waterrights management and monitoring system (e.g., for tracking streamlevels or flood alerts), or a gas storage system. Other possibilitiesexist as well.

Referring now to FIG. 2, a schematic layout of an example water district200 is shown, in which a water monitoring system could be installed andwhich could be analyzed with such a system. The water district 200generally includes a water distribution facility 200 as well as ahierarchical water conduit system 204. As seen in the schematic layoutof water district 200, the water conduit system 204 includes a pluralityof branches 206. In the topology of the water conduit system 204 asshown, a line meter 208 is placed at each branching point from whichbranches 206 extend. Additionally, along each branch, a plurality ofwater taps can be extended to customers, illustrated as separate watermeters 210 (each denoted as “WM”).

In the context of a water district such as district 200 as shown, it isinstructive to determine which particular water users are consuming thegreatest amount of water, as well as which branch 206 consumes the mostwater. For example, if a particular user is consuming a great deal ofwater, it may be due to a failure of a pipe at that user's location. Itmay also be instructive to compare a flow of water through a particularline meter 208 relative to the water meters (e.g., meters 16 a-b)downstream of that line meter, for example to determine an overall losswithin that branch 206. As further discussed below in Part D, suchanalysis is possible based on placement of utility resource usagecapture components 100 at both the line meter 208 and the billable watermeters 210 within the water district 200.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart of a method 300 of operation of a satellite-basedlow power resource meter reading system is shown. The method 300generally corresponds to overall operation of the system 10 of FIG. 1,according to one possible embodiment. Although the method 300 describesregistration and operation within a system 10 in general terms,additional details below may be incorporated as well, from Parts B-D.

In the embodiment shown, the method 300 is instantiated at a startoperation 302, which corresponds to initializing installation of autility resource usage capture component within a satellite-based lowpower resource meter reading system 10. The method 300 further includesassociating a utility resource usage capture component with the networkand with a particular meter (operation 304). This can include, forexample, electrically connecting a resource meter to a utility resourceusage capture component, as well as registering the utility resourceusage capture component as active in a tracking database, such asutility resource usage database 24 of FIG. 1.

An identifier capture operation 306 corresponds to capture andregistration of identifiers of the meter and utility resource usagecapture component, such that it is known that a reading from aparticular utility resource usage capture component relates to aparticular meter. A location association operation 308 corresponds toassociating the meter and utility resource usage capture component to auser, account, and utility in association with which the resource usageis tracked. This can include, for example, receiving a meter identifierand/or serial number associated with the meter affiliated with theparticular utility resource usage capture component.

Following operation 308, the utility resource usage capture component isregistered within a system for use. Periodic update operation 310corresponds to receipt of updates from the utility resource usagecapture component, for example on a daily or hourly basis. It is notedthat generally, when updates are not obtained from each utility resourceusage capture component, that component resides in a low power mode,such that daily power consumption of each utility resource usage capturecomponent is kept low. Each periodic update received in operation 310can take a variety of forms; in general, the update will include a meterreading, an identifier of the utility resource usage capture componentfrom which the reading is obtained, and a health status of the utilityresource capture component. Health status can include, for example, avoltage of the power source within the utility resource usage capturecomponent (e.g., to determine remaining battery life), any error codeswhich may have arisen, and a message type. Other data fields can beincorporated as well, in various embodiments.

In various embodiments, the periodic update operation 310 occurs on adaily basis, for example to provide daily updates regarding resourceusage or status, as well as health information regarding the component.Optionally, in some embodiments a remote system, such as utilityresource management computing system 22, could change this period, forexample to hourly updates, in the event of detection of abnormal usagepatterns or health status information.

A storage operation 312 stores the received updates in a database, suchas utility resource usage database 24. Additionally, usage data isprovided in operation 314, for example by allowing resource providersand resource users to access usage data via a web application hosted ona web server (e.g., web server 26 of FIG. 1). The method 300 isterminated generally at an end operation 316.

In various embodiments, additional features could be included in method300 as well. For example, the utility resource management computingsystem 22 can assess the information received from each component 100,and determine whether, for example usage patterns associated with aresource are outside of a given threshold, or whether health dataassociated with a component indicate the possibility of a failure. Assuch, additional actions may be dictated by the data, such as changing afrequency or period of updating from one or more such components.

Referring generally to FIGS. 1-3, is recognized that, within the system10, each of the utility resource usage capture components 100 can beconfigured to communicate with a satellite at different times, todisperse over the course of a day the readings received from each of thecomponents. For example, each of the utility resource usage capturecomponents 100 could be assigned a random time within a particularwindow of time during the day (e.g., during the night when resourceusage is lowest) at which to awaken and transmit data. Since datacommunication periods are typically short (on the order of about 30seconds), this allows the communications to be spaced apart for securityand convenience purposes.

B. Utility Resource Usage Capture Component (e.g., Water Meter ReadingDevice)

Now referring generally to FIGS. 4-19, additional details regardingembodiments of a utility resource usage capture component, such ascomponent 100 of FIG. 1, are provided. In general, the utility resourceusage capture component 100 is configured to be placed outdoors at aremote location for an extended period of time without access to power,such that the component is configured to operate in a low power statewhen not communicating with a satellite or reading a meter. Using autility resource usage capture component 100, it is possible to capturequality or status measurements for a variety of different types ofresources located anywhere worldwide, without special configuration fordifferent environmental features, communication protocols, orconnectivity issues.

Although in FIGS. 4-19 the utility resource usage capture component 100is discussed in terms of its application as a water meter readingdevice, it is recognized that many other possible applications for sucha component are possible, and would only require adaptation of aninterface to that particular meter or monitor for adaptation to such apurpose.

FIGS. 4-10 illustrate one possible embodiment of a water meter readingdevice 1000. The water meter reading device 1000 is one example of theutility resource usage capture component 100. In general, the watermeter reading device 1000 is configured for use with a geostationarysatellite system, and for connection to a variety of different types ofwater meters.

In the example as shown, the water meter reading device 1000 includes asatellite communications module 1002, a tube 1004, a bottom cap 1006, aport 1008, and a cable 1010. The satellite communications module 1002includes a modem/antenna 1022 and a mount 1024. The tube 1004 includes abattery pack 1012 and a circuit board 1014. The circuit board 1014includes, among other features, a first connector 1016, a secondconnector 1018, and a microcontroller 1020. Other features of a circuitboard such as board 14 useable for inclusion in device 1000 areillustrated in FIGS. 15-16, below.

In use, the water meter reading device 1000 is coupled to a water meterand is configured to receive and transmit water meter readings of thewater meter. In alternate embodiments, the water meter reading device1000 may be connected to various other devices, including sensors,instruments, and other apparatuses connected to the water meter. Thewater meter reading device 1000 is generally mounted in an uprightposition, for example using a standard hose-clamp type bracket or othertype of frictional or clamping system. The water meter reading device1000 can be mounted to any convenient location generally away from largeobstacles which may prevent satellite communications access (e.g., alarge obstruction positioned to the south from the oriented device1000), and with the satellite communications module 1002 orientedgenerally for best satellite coverage. The water meter reading device1000 remains in a low power sleep state or wait state until awoken by atimer, such as might execute within the satellite communications module1002, or based on receipt of a signal from a remote satellite (e.g.,satellite 12) at the satellite communications module 1002. At such time,the device 1000 interrogates the connected device(s). Interrogation mayoccur in various forms, for example, by a series of twelve pulses (e.g.,as discussed in connection with FIGS. 18-19, below). Once interrogated,the connected device(s) responds with encoded data. The encoded data maybe indicative of various readings, including water meter readings, leakdetection data, sensor readings, or the like. Because the water meterreading device 1000 is configured to operate with any water meter, thedata received will often differ depending on which meter or device isconnected to the water meter reading device 1000. Therefore, the watermeter reading device 1000 is configured to translate any data receivedinto a standardized format. The circuit board 1014 receives the data,decodes it, and transfers the standardized data to the satellitecommunications module 1002. The modem/antenna 1022 then transmits thedecoded data to a remote location. Upon completion, the device 1000re-enters a low power mode.

The satellite communications module 1002 is configured to receive andtransmit signals through the use of the modem/antenna 1022. For example,the modem/antenna 1022 may awaken at a predetermined time based on aninternal clock, and enter an operational mode in which meter and devicestatus is to be collected and communicated. Upon collecting andtranslating data received from any connected devices, the circuit board1014 transfers the encoded data to the satellite communications module1022. The modem/antenna 1022 then transmits the data to a satellite,which relays data to a collection location, at which data can begathered. The modem/antenna 1022 may be any suitable modem andassociated antenna capable of transmitting data to a desired satellitesystem. In alternative embodiments, a pulse low interrupt signal can bereceived from a satellite, and acts as a request from a remote locationthat the water meter reading device 1000 enter an operational mode, withdata relayed back via the satellite from which the interrupt signal isreceived.

In some embodiments, the satellite communications module 1002 isconfigured to operate using very low power, that is to minimize a numberof switches between satellites that take place. For example, althoughtypical satellite communications modules 1002 may include a globalpositioning system, typically such a circuit is excluded from thesatellite communication module, due to lack of movement of the module1002 once installed. Additionally, although in some types of satellitecommunications modules a “best fit” satellite providing a best signal tonoise ratio is negotiated, in the module 1002 firmware is configured toretain a satellite connection if feasible, thereby avoidingrenegotiating a satellite connection, which otherwise would consume anundesirable amount of power (and therefore is avoided if at allpossible).

In some embodiments, the modem/antenna 1022 is oriented in a cantedposition, as shown in FIGS. 4-7. In such embodiments, the modem/antenna1022 may be angled in any direction that enables it to receive signalsfrom a remote satellite. In such embodiments, the satellitecommunications module 1002 is generally canted, and used in connectionwith cylindrical pipe 1004, to provide a wide range of possibledirections to aim the satellite communications module 1002 when thedevice 1000 is mounted in a vertical orientation. The amount of cantingrequired may vary based on which satellite is used in the system. Forexample, in comparison to the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 13-16which uses a low earth orbit satellite system (and hence has no canting,but instead uses a horizontal arrangement), the embodiment of FIGS. 4-10is configured for use with geostationary satellite system which usessatellites that are positioned along the southern horizon when thesatellite communications module 1002 is placed in the United States. Inother embodiments, the satellite communications module 1002 may shapeddifferently so that it is configured to communicate with various otherremote locations.

The satellite communications module 1002 is supported by the mount 1024.The mount 1024 acts as a coupling interface between the pipe 1004 andthe satellite communications module 1002 and incorporated modem/antenna1022. The mount 1024 is rigidly attached to the satellite communicationsmodule 1002 by a fastening means (see FIG. 9). The fastening means maybe any mechanical fastening device, such as, for example, screws, bolts,metal rods, or the like. Though the satellite communications module 1002is secured to the mount 1024, the fastening means enable easy removal ofthe satellite communications module 1002 from the device 1000 forpurposes of installation, maintenance, repairs, or the like. Thefastening means is preferably tamper-resistant or at leasttamper-evident, for example using a security type screw arrangement. Insome embodiments, the antenna mount 1024 also includes a seal, describedin more detail below.

The pipe 1004 is a hollow housing which acts as a support for theantenna assembly 1002 and a protective enclosure for the battery pack1012 and the circuit board 1014. The pipe 1004 can be constructed from avariety of materials, and is typically made from an environmentallyresistant material, such as PVC. The battery pack 1012 provides power tothe water meter reading device 1000. Because the device 1000 oftenremains in a low power state, such as a sleep or wait mode, the batterypack 1012 may last up to or longer than ten years without needingreplacement. The pipe 1004 also acts as the body of the device 1000 andprovides connectivity to any connected devices, such as, a water meter.Specifically, the device is connected to any other devices through thewire 1010 and the port 1008. The port 1008 can be configured to acceptany type of wire 1010, and can include a gasket providing anenvironmental seal around one or more wires passing therethrough. Thewire 1010 may be one wire or multiple wires, as needed for the operationof the water meter reading device 1000. For example, the wire 1010 mayconnect to both the battery pack 1012 and the circuit board 1014, or mayinclude additional wires for remote controlling a meter or otherexternal device. In other embodiments, the wire 1010 may include two ormore wires for connection to the components, respectively.

The circuit board 1014 is directly coupled to any connected devicesthrough the wire 1010. In the embodiment, the circuit board 1014includes the first connector 1016 and the microcontroller 1020. Thefirst connector 1016 is configured to accept a connection from anyconnected devices, such as the water meter. Thus, any data received fromthe water meter is sent directly to the circuit board 1014 fortranslation. The data is sent to the microcontroller 1020 which decodesthe encoded data from any connected devices to a standard format(discussed in greater detail below). Upon translating the data, themicrocontroller 1020 sends the encoded data to the satellitecommunications module 1002 for transmittal to a remote location. Thecircuit board also includes the second connector 1018. In someembodiments the second connector 1018 is a testing socket which can beused for debugging or other testing activities. In other embodiments,the second connector 1018 may have the same functionality as the firstconnector 1016 or acts as a default connector for any future connectionneeds of the system.

Referring to FIG. 8 specifically, a bottom view of the satellitecommunications module 1002 is shown. The satellite communications module1002 includes the modem/antenna 1022, the mount 1024, fasteners 1026,and a sealing connector 1028.

The satellite communications module 1002 is securely fastened by thefasteners 1026. In the example embodiment, the fasteners 1026 arescrews. The screws 1026 are positioned around the antenna mount 1024 toprovide equal support; however, in alternate embodiments a greater orlesser number of fasteners may be utilized. In some embodiments, thefasteners 1026 can be any variety of fastener which can provide physicalfastening such as, for example, bolts, buckles, hooks, clasps, metalrods, or the like. The method of fastening allows somewhat easy removalof the modem/antenna 1022 from the mount 1024, for example for securitypurposes. Removal may be necessary for a variety of reasons including,maintenance, removal, efficient installation, or the like.

The satellite communications module 1002 also includes the sealingconnector 1028. The sealing connector 1028 allows connection of thecircuit board 1014 to the satellite communications module 1002, whilealso providing water protection for the device 1000. Specifically, thesealing connector 1028 interfaces with the mount 1024 to ensure thatwater or other materials do not enter the pipe 1004 or satellitecommunications module 1002 and damage the battery pack 1012 or thecircuit board 1014. The sealing connector 1028 is designed to beinserted during assembly into the satellite communications module 1002and includes a wire leading into the pipe 1004, while forming a sealingconnection to the mount 1024 so that water is discouraged from seepinginto the pipe 1004. The sealing connection can be any kind of closurefor this purpose, such as, for example, an O-ring, a toric joint, amechanical gasket, silicone caulk, or the like. In the event of waterseepage into the pipe 1004 due to a failure in the sealing connection,the pipe 1004 may come equipped with a bottom drain (seen in FIG. 10B)which enables removal of unwanted water from the pipe 1004.

Now referring to FIGS. 9A-9B top and bottom views of the mount 1024,unassembled from the device 1000, is illustrated. The mount 1024includes fastener holes 1032. The fastener holes 1032 are hollow spacesconfigured to accept at least one fastener, such as the fasteners 1026.In some embodiments, more or less fastener holes 1032 are included inthe mount 1024, based on the desired number of fasteners 1026. Thefastener holes 1032 may be greater or smaller in size depending on thevariety of fastener utilized.

Though the modem/antenna 1022 and the mount 1024 are illustrated withthe configurations and shapes shown in FIGS. 8 and 9A-9B, various otherdesigns may exist which allow the satellite communications module 1002to efficiently transmit and receive signals to and from remotelocations. Additional details regarding such a component are describedbelow in connection with FIGS. 15-16.

Referring now to FIGS. 10A-10B, the water meter reading device 1000 alsoincludes a bottom cap 1006. The bottom cap 1006 acts as a bottom supportfor the pipe 1004, and to encase components contained within the pipe.In some embodiments, the bottom cap 1006 is removable so that morecomponents can be positioned within the hollow enclosure of the pipe1004. In the embodiment shown, the bottom cap 1006 includes a threadedconnection 1007 which feeds onto an inner thread (not shown) of thepipe. This provides for an environmental seal between the bottom cap1006 and the pipe 1004, while allowing access to the interior of thepipe 1004 if needed for service.

For example, in the event of a battery pack failure, the bottom cap 1006can be disconnected from the pipe 1004 to allow placement of anotherbattery pack. In other embodiments, a second battery pack may beinserted into the pipe 1004 for added power even if the battery pack1012 is fully operational. In still further embodiments, a second pipehaving an analogous threading to the threaded connection 1007 at a topend and internal threading at a bottom end could be added at the joinderof the pipe and end cap, to extend the length of the overall device 1000and allow additional interior space for additional batteries orcircuitry, if additional battery life or functionality is desired.

In addition, the bottom cap 1006, in the embodiment shown, includes adrain hold 1009 positioned near the port 1008, to allow any moisturewhich may have entered the pipe 1004 to drain out from the pipe at alocation away from any wiring, such that the moisture does not followthe wiring down out of the pipe 1004 to a connected meter.

Now referring to FIGS. 11-14, a second example embodiment of a watermeter reading device 1050 is shown. Generally device 1050 corresponds todevice 1000, but has a generally horizontally oriented satellitecommunication module 1052. The device 1050 is accordingly configured touse in connection with low earth orbit (LEO) satellite systems, incontrast to the arrangement of FIGS. 4-10.

As seen in FIGS. 12-13, in comparison to the arrangement of FIGS. 4-10,the satellite communications module 1052 has a snap-fit arrangementincluding an o-ring 1054 and latches 1056 which are inserted into a pipe1058. Additionally, end cap 1060 has a snap fit connection, rather thana threaded connection. Gasket 1061 in the end cap corresponds to theport 1008.

Within the pipe 1058, a battery assembly 1062 is connected to and acircuit board 1064 and the satellite communications module 1052 by awire 1066. In this embodiment, the circuit board is located nearer thesatellite communications module 1052 than the battery assembly 1062,while in the embodiment of FIGS. 4-10 the circuit board is positioned tobe accessible via the end cap 1006. As specifically illustrated in FIG.14, the battery assembly 1062 includes a circuit board connector andassociated battery modules which can be encased with an environmentallyprotective covering or sheath. Generally, the battery assembly can beconstructed using a battery pack including one or more Tadiran lithiumbatteries, constructed using one or more Tadiran hybrid layercapacitors, for constant voltage over a life span of the battery andlong life operation. Other battery assembly arrangements are possible aswell.

FIG. 15 is a generalized schematic diagram of an example water meterreading device 1100 connected to a water meter 1106 and associatedauxiliary device 1112, according to an example embodiment. The device1100 generally corresponds to either of devices 1000, 1050 of FIGS.4-14. The device 1100 includes a satellite communications module 1102communicatively connected to a meter interface module 1104. Thesatellite communications module 1102 generally provides communicationwith a satellite system, as described above. The meter interface module1104 is interconnected at a serial interface to a meter 1106, which canbe any of a variety of types of meters. As further discussed herein, themeter interface module 1104 is configured to be interconnectable to avariety of different types of meters from a number of differentmanufacturers.

A power module 1108 is electrically connected to the satellitecommunications module 1102 and the meter interface module 1104, andprovides power to those modules during operation. The power module 1108can correspond, in some embodiments, to the battery assembly 1062 orbattery pack 1012.

An expansion board 1110 can optionally be connected to the circuit boardof the meter interface module 1104, and can include a variety ofdifferent functions as required by a particular application of thedevice 1100. For example, the expansion board 1110 can provide wirelessdata connectivity to the module 1100, for example using WiFi, ZigBee,BlueTooth, or other RF protocols. The expansion board 1110 can alsointegrate one or more additional sensors or sensor inputs, for examplerelating to weather or environmental detection. Alternatively, theexpansion board 1110 can include control circuitry for managing controlof one or more additional external electronic or electromechanicalsystems placed at the remote location where the device 1110 is located.In still further embodiments, the expansion board 1110 could includeother types of interfaces, such as a radio link interface, an opticallink interface, or a contact closure or pulse interface, and could beused to interface either the meter or an additional auxiliary device.

Additionally, an optional auxiliary device 1112 can be included in theoverall system, and can be triggered or controlled by either the meterinterface module 1104 or the expansion board 1110.

Now referring to FIG. 16, a schematic diagram is shown, in which themeter interface module 1104 is implemented on a circuit board 1140. Thecircuit board 1140 is one embodiment of the circuit board 1014 orcircuit board 1064. The circuit board 1140 includes a power supply 1142,a main board 1144, a serial connection socket 1146, a testing socket1148, and an expansion board slot 1149.

The main board 1144 functions in the same way as the microcontroller1020. For example, the main board 1144 receives data packets fromvarious connected devices via the serial connection socket 1146, whichconnects directly to any such device and a ground. The main board 1144translates the data packets into a standardized format and transmits thenewly decoded data to the antenna 1122 for transmittal to a remotelocation.

Data is received from a meter at the serial connection socket 1146 in avariety of formats, depending upon the type of meter to which the deviceis connected. Generally, in two example embodiments, data is received atthe serial connection socket 1146 from either an absolute encoderregister (e.g., as found in a Sensus ECR, Sensus ICE, Hersey Translator,or Badger ADE meter) or a pulse register (e.g., as found in a Badger RTRmeter). Details regarding data transmission at the serial connectionsocket 1146 are provided in connection with FIG. 17, below.

The testing socket 1148, functions similarly to the second connection1018. The testing socket 1148 remains unconnected to any other devices,but instead, remains as an alternate connector for any debugging,repairs, maintenance, improvements, future programming, or the like thatmay occur. In other embodiments, the testing socket 1148 may functionsimilarly to the serial connection socket 1146, or connect to any otherdevices that may be added to the system at installation or in thefuture. In still other embodiments, the testing socket 1148 can bereplaced by a wireless testing interface.

Similarly, the expansion board slot 1149 is configured for generalpurpose I/O and includes generic pins for connection to an expansionboard (e.g., board 1110) for any of a variety of additional functionssuch as those described above. The expansion board slot 1149 adds to theconvenience of the device 1000 by saving any future effort in addingadditional circuitry to the circuit board 1140. In some embodiments,however, the expansion board slot 1149 may be utilized prior toinstallation if there is any added functionality at a time prior toinstallation but after manufacturing. In other embodiments, theexpansion board slot 1149 may be utilized as an aid to the main board1144. In the current example, the expansion board slot 1149 alsoconnects to the ground.

In the example shown in FIG. 17, a serial interface includes threewires, a data wire, a clock wire, and a ground wire. In the timingdiagram 1200 shown, the data wire is used to interrogate the meter andto receive a reading from the meter.

As the interrogating device toggles the clock, the meter sends data onthe data wire. The data from the meter consists of 1 start bit, 7 databits, 1 parity bit, and 1 stop bit. The simple substitution codedetailed in Table 1 is used to decrypt the numeric data.

TABLE 1 Decoded Data Encoded Hex Encoded Decimal 0 79 121 1 39 57 2 5989 3 19 25 4 69 105 5 29 41 6 49 73 7 9 9 8 71 113 9 31 49

A responsive data signal 1204 is received from the meter and captured bythe main board 1144. When interrogated, these meters respond with theabsolute meter reading and an eight digit ID number. The overall dataframe is detailed in Table 2. Note that data fields may vary in lengthdepending on manufacturer and model.

TABLE 2 Decimal Hex Char Frame Start Token 74 4A J End of Field Token 1711 DC1 Register Value Token 90 5A Z Data Start Token 94 5E {circumflexover ( )} Register Reading Variable Length End of Field Token 17 11 DC1Customer ID Token 54 36 6 Data Start Token 94 5E {circumflex over ( )}Customer ID Number Variable Length End of Frame Token 39 27 ‘

In alternative embodiments of the device 1100, other types of meterinterfaces could be used in addition to or in replacement to the serialinterface described above. For example, the interface to a meter couldinclude a radio link interface, an optical link interface, or a contactclosure or pulse interface. In some embodiments, a radio link interfaceor optical link interface could be established by addition of acomplementary radio or optical module as an add-on component to astandard resource meter. In such embodiments, the device 1100 couldconnect to two or more meters, or types of meters.

FIG. 18, an example state diagram 1250 is illustrated which implementsinterrogation of meters from the main board 1144, and which reflects theabove interrogation.

Referring back to FIG. 16, the main board 1144 translates the receivedserial data into a data packet transmittable via satellite communicationand recognizable to an end-device. Accordingly, the main board 1144translates the various formats of serial data into a standard protocolrecognizable at a utility resource management computing system 22 asshown in FIG. 1. For example, in an example embodiment, a data packetcan be translated to a 22-character hexadecimal data packet that caninclude a hex value representing current battery voltage, two valuesrepresenting error codes (e.g., lack of communication or completion ofcommunication) two values representing a message type (e.g., a pollmessage, user data, or a terminal message), eight values representing ameter reading in hexadecimal format, eight more values representing anidentifier of the meter from which the reading is received, and anoptional placeholder/parity bit. The same length data packet can be usedin other circumstances to communicate the status of a device, such as anamount of failed traffic from that device, its current operatingtemperature, battery voltage, operational mode (install vs. normal), andslot time (i.e., time required to communicate with a satellite,typically either 2.5 or 10 seconds depending upon connection quality).Other messages, such as to communicate a current firmware version in thedevice, could be used as well.

Now referring to FIG. 19, a flow chart of one embodiment of a method ofoperation 1300 of a water meter reading device is shown. The method 1300is one example of the operational steps of the devices 1000, 1050, 1100and will be described below utilizing the components of the devices1000, 1050, 1100 (referring to device 1000 as shorthand for all suchdevices). However, it is understood that various other methods ofoperation exist for the devices.

In the embodiment shown, the method is instantiated at a start operation1302, which corresponds to an initial assembly and installation of adevice, such as water meter reading device 1000, at a location coupledto a utility resource utilization meter within the system 10.

A wake-up operation 1304 corresponds to triggering a wake-up of thedevice, for example based on a low power clock maintained within thedevice. Alternatively, the wake-up operation 1304 could correspond toreceiving a signal from a remote location, such as a satellite. Uponwake-up, the device 1000 enters an operational state step 1306. Thedevice 1000 is likely to be in a sleep mode or a wait mode prior toentering an operational state at step 1306.

An interrogation operation 1308 begins interrogating the water meter toreceive data packets indicative of a reading. The interrogating canoccur in various ways, such as, for example, by pulse interrogation. Forexample, a series of a certain number of pulses is sent to the meter. Insome embodiments, twelve pulses, each having a width of 1 millisecondand period of 1.4 seconds, are sent to the water meter. Theinterrogating circuitry switches on an input line of the water meter,thereby allowing the meter to send data packets indicative of a readingon the input wire. Upon transmittal from the water meter, the device1000 enters a receive data operation 1310, which simply accepts the datapackets from the meter.

After receiving the data packets, the device 1000 enters a decode dataoperation 1312. Generally, the data packets, which can be encoded in avariety of ways depending on the type of water meter or device whichtransmitted the data, must be translated into a standardized formatcompatible with the device and overall system. The microcontroller 1020handles the translation of the data packets, as described above.

Once translated, the standardized data packets are sent to a remotelocation by a transmit data operation 1314. The operation utilizes theantenna 1022 to transmit signals to a satellite or some other receiverin a remote location for further processing. The transmit data operation1314 can also transmit other data associated with the device, such ashealth status information regarding the device, as discussed above inconnection with the various available hexadecimal coded messages usedfor transmission to a remote system.

Upon transmitting the data, the device 1000 enters a low power modeoperation 1316. The low power mode may be any low power state such as asleep or wait mode. An end operation 1318 corresponds to completed watermeter reading retrieval and transmittal.

Referring to FIG. 19 generally, it is recognized that the general method1300 described in connection with this figure is typically performed andcompleted daily, and represents a relatively short period within theday. For example, the device 1000 can be configured to wake-up, obtainand transmit data, and return to a low power mode within approximately30 seconds. Due to the relatively short period of time the device isactive each day, it is recognized that using a substantiallyhigh-capacity battery will allow the device 1000 to operate for manyyears (estimated to last about 10 years under normal operation) withoutrequiring maintenance.

C. Data Storage and Device Installation

Referring now to FIGS. 20-34 generally, additional details regardingdata managed at a utility resource management computing system 22 andstored in a utility resource usage database 24 are provided, asrepresented both within a database and as reflected in user interfacesgenerated by a web application provided through a web server (e.g., webserver 26).

FIG. 20 illustrates details regarding logical arrangement and content ofa utility resource database 24, according to an example embodiment. Inthe example shown, the utility resource database 24 includes a set oftables maintaining data associated with a number of resource providersand associated resource users, as well as the meters and communicationsdevices associated with those entities. In the embodiment shown, thedatabase 24 includes a meter readings table 1402, a meters table 1404, alocations table 1406, and a customers table 1408. The meter readingstable 1402 includes data associated with a meter reading, including theID of the meter, the reading date, the reading, and associatedinformation. The meters table 1404 is configured to track each meterincluded in the overall system, and therefore includes an ID of eachmeter, as well as an associated location ID (e.g., the associatedbusiness or billing address), as well as an identifier of the customer(e.g., resource provider), an indication of the model number or type ofmeter, whether the meter is billable, and various alerts. The locationstable 1406 includes a location identifier and an associated customeridentifier, organization identifier, associated billing address and GPSlocations associated with the location identifier, any alternateaddresses, and other information.

The customers table 1408 includes a customer identifier, organizationidentifier, account number of the customer, contact names and businessaddress information. In various embodiments discussed herein, thecustomer corresponds to an individual or entity that enrolls with aservice for tracking water usage, such as a resource provider. In theembodiment shown, the database 24 additionally includes a users table1410, as well as a zones table 1412 and an organizations table 1414. Theusers table 1410 stores information about various types of individualusers to allow those users to access data in the database via a webapplication. The users table 1410 can therefore include information suchas the user ID, organization ID, name, title, contact information,password information, and security question information. The zones table1412 stores information such as the zone identifier, description, andother information about the zone being monitored. The organizationstable 1414 stores information about each particular organization, suchas a water district or other utility resource provider, which uses thedatabase 24. Example data in the organizations table 1414 includes theorganization ID, logo, alert levels, billing day information, and zoneidentifiers.

In addition to the above, a number of tables relating to the deviceitself are included, such as a devices table 1416, a device readingstable 1418, a device data table 1420, and a read errors table 1422.Other tables could be included, and other types of data could beincluded in the database 24 as well. The devices table 1416 storesinformation about a device installation, such as its location andorientation, its identity, who installed that device, its height andlast updated software date. The device readings table 1418 storestimestamp-meter reading combinations, such as might be receivedperiodically from a device via a satellite communications network in thehexadecimal messaging format described above. Likewise, the device datatable 1420 stores information about operational status of a device, suchas might be received in an alternative type of hexadecimal message fromthe device; example types of data include the firmware version, batteryvoltage level, signal to noise ratio experienced by the device,temperature, number of connection attempts to a satellite, and otherinformation. The read errors table 1422 stores error types, associateddevices, times the error occurred, and the value associated with eacherror.

Although the above data fields are discussed, it is recognized that moreor fewer data fields could be implemented in alternative embodiments. Assuch, the data fields in database 24 are intended as exemplary, ratherthan limiting.

Referring now to FIG. 21, a method 1500 of managing data in a utilityresource usage database of a utility resource management computingsystem 22 is provided. The method 1500 is instantiated at a startoperation 1502, which corresponds to deployment of one or more utilityresource usage capture components for monitoring utility usage. Themethod 1500 further includes receiving one or more meter readings fromone or more utility resource usage capture components, such as devices1000, 1050, 1100, described above (step 1504). When the reading isreceived at the utility resource management computing system 22, thereading is stored in association with the corresponding location fromwhich it is received, as well as an identity of a utility user and autility with which it is associated (via database links) (step 1506).After the reading is stored, it is available to be reflected in one ormore displayed user interfaces provided based on the data in thedatabase, for example in a web application generated by a web server(e.g., web server 26) (step 1508). An end operation 1510 terminates themethod.

Referring now to FIGS. 22-34, a utility management web application 1600and a method of its use to install and manage one or more utilityresource usage capture components is illustrated, according to anexample embodiment of the present disclosure. The utility management webapplication 1600 can be used to manage both deployments of utilityresource usage capture components and analysis of data received fromthose same components/devices.

FIG. 22 illustrates a logical block diagram of the utility managementweb application 1600. The application 1600 includes a plurality ofsubmodules based on types of operations performed and users allowed toaccess that data and/or functionality, including a management module1602, an installer module 1604, a customer module 1606, a reportingmodule 1608, a maintenance module 1610, and a satellite data acquisitionmodule 1612.

The management module 1602 allows a user to manage a variety offunctions within the system, including adding or editing informationabout various sites, checking an operational status of various sites,monitoring customer usage, importing data, as well as various setup,maintenance, data import, or alarm setup or customer service tasks.Generally, the management module 1602 is accessible to administrators ofthe web application and/or underlying database 24.

The installer module 1604 allows an installer (typically a techniciangranted a specified set of access rights relative to a group of utilityresource usage capture components for installation and maintenancepurposes. The installer module 1604 generally allows those technicianusers to activate one or more utility resource usage capture components,view an activation status of such components, select sites at which thecomponents will be installed, generate installation sheets, and completevarious information regarding the components. As is further describedbelow in connection with FIGS. 23-34, installation of a componentgenerally proceeds such that the component initially has an inactivestate, but is then activated, then installed, and finally confirmed byan administrative or management user. To step through these variousinstallation phases, a number of steps are followed by the technicianusers and management users, with the technician users provided access todata entry screens via the installer module 1604.

The customer module 1606 is generally intended to be provided to autility user of the application 1600, and includes a dashboard fordisplaying resource usage by that utility as a whole, as well asanalysis tools allowing the customer to view details relative to thatresource usage (details of which are described in part D, below).Additionally, user management, maintenance, site editing, and billingfeatures are included as well.

The reporting module 1608 generally generates reports for various typesof users, such as resource users (i.e., customers of the utility) orutility users themselves. The reporting module provides access tovarious billing screens, custom reports, and invoice data. Themaintenance module 1610 provides setup, backup, restore, archive, andrecovery functionality relative to the underlying database 24, therebyallowing management users of the application 1600 to have databaseadministrator access from a location remote from the utility resourcemanagement computing system 22.

The satellite data acquisition module 1612 manages site setup, as wellas various types of communication with utility resource usage capturecomponents. For example, the satellite data acquisition module 1612allows for receipt of standardized (e.g., hexadecimal encoded) messagesfrom a satellite network including daily readings as well as “fast poll”readings, which are readings that are performed on a more-than-dailybasis in response to a command from the web application 1600, forexample in the event a management user or customer notes an anomaly indata (e.g., which may represent a water leak or water pipe bursting,such that daily data would otherwise be insufficient). Additionally,status readings relative to each of the utility resource usage capturecomponents are provided, obtaining information such as devicetemperature, voltage, firmware version, or other status informationpreviously described. Additionally, the satellite data acquisitionmodule 1612 allows a user to transmit a message back to a utilityresource usage capture component via the satellite network, for exampleto interrogate the component or to initiate or stop a fast poll readingmode.

Referring now to FIG. 23, a method 1700 is illustrated for deploying andmanaging utility resource capture components, according to an exampleembodiment of the present disclosure. The method 1700 generallyrepresents the process through which a utility resource usage capturecomponent is activated, installed, and validated, such that it can beused within a system such as system 10 of FIG. 1.

In the embodiment shown, the method 1700 is instantiated at a startoperation 1702, which corresponds generally to selection of one or moreutility resource usage capture components for installation. An installerthen enters into the application, such as in the installer module 1604,a list of devices for activation (step 1704). This can occur, forexample, by the installer scanning bar codes associated with eachcomponent to be activated, thereby entering those bar codes into a webinterface (e.g., as shown in FIG. 26). An administrative user then viewsand activates the components identified by the installer (step 1706). Atthis point, the components are activated, but have not yet beeninstalled or confirmed as active. In other words, the components cancommunicate with a satellite network, but are not yet considered to begathering utility resource usage data.

Once activated, the installer will select one or more sites at which thecomponents will be installed, and generates one or more installationsheets used to capture an association between the component and a meterto which it will be connected (step 1708). Example user interfacesviewed by the installer to perform this operation are illustrated inFIGS. 28-29. The installer then travels to the location at which thecomponent will be installed, and installs the component (step 1710).Typically, this involves mounting the component to a rigid location suchthat a generally southward direction has a clear view toward asatellite, and connecting a meter interface to a meter, for example byconnecting wires from a meter's serial data connection to circuitrywithin the component.

Once the component or components are installed, meter readings obtainedfrom those components are validated (step 1712). This typically involvesthe installing technician using a tool for field-testing the componentto ensure its proper operation, including validating a proper connectionto both a satellite and the meter. Once operation of the component isvalidated, a bar code sticker on the component can be removed and placedon a printed install sheet (generated during step 1708), which includesa unique meter identifier thereon. This will, once entered into adatabase, uniquely associate the meter with a particular component towhich it is connected. A web entry process is then performed by theinstaller to enter this and other data from the web form, such as theidentifier of the location, the name of the installer, the initial meterread at the site, a meter reading obtained using a tool, a site GPSreading, an aim direction of the component, a type of installation ofthe component, a type of mount (e.g., to a post or building), and aheight of the mount (e.g., for satellite connectivity troubleshooting)(step 1716). Example user interfaces used to complete entry ofinstallation information are provided in FIGS. 30-31.

Once the field installation and data entry is performed, the componentmoves from “activated” status to “installed” status. The installer thenperforms a validation process to ensure that each of the components hasbeen properly installed and entered (step 1718). This involves visuallyinspecting the readings received and stored at the database 24, toensure that they match those provided by the installer. This allows theinstaller to validate that the component is installed at the correctlocation, has correctly connected to a satellite and is capable oftransmitting data, and is otherwise operating properly. An example userinterface used to validate installations is provided in FIG. 32.Generally, the technician will review the data obtained via thesatellite connection to the component to ensure that the readingreceived via satellite and stored in the database 24 matches thatobtained in the field, and that no connectivity or operational problemsexist (e.g., a weak signal to noise ratio, high operating temperature,or dead or near-dead battery).

Each “installed” component is then validated by a management user aswell, using a similar process to that performed by the technician (step1720). For example, the management user can compare the data entered bythe technician/installer, data included on the install sheet, and datareceived over the air to ensure that the correct component is at thecorrect location, and operating properly. Upon completion of thatvalidation step, the component can move from the “installed” status to a“confirmed” status by the management user, indicating that theinstallation of that component has been properly completed and has beenvalidated by the manager of the system 10. Operational flow terminatesat an end operation 1722, which corresponds to the completedinstallation, such that satellite-based meter reading can occur.

Now referring to FIGS. 24-34 example user interfaces are shown which areavailable via a web server 26, and which can be generated from the webapplication 1600 of FIG. 22. Each user interface is discussed brieflybelow; however it is understood that any of a variety of layouts orinterfaces could be used as well. As such, the user interfaces of FIGS.24-34 are intended as exemplary rather than limiting.

FIG. 24 is an example schematic user interface 1800 for creating a newcustomer water utility in the application. The user interface 1800 isgenerally used by a management user (e.g., a user of the managementmodule 1602 of the web application 1600) to create or modify detailsregarding a new customer as a utility resource provider (in this case, awater utility). Details regarding preferences of that customer areentered in the user interface 1800, such as the name, address, contactinformation, billing days, and alert thresholds can be provided.

FIG. 25 is an example schematic user interface 1900 for maintainingusers within the application. The user interface 1900 is generally usedby either a management user or a customer (utility resource provider) tocontrol access to data, for example by defining a user and his or herrole (e.g., management, administrative, installer, resource consumer,etc.) The user interface 1900 allows entry of user details as well aspassword information required for accessing information in the database24, such as meter readings relating to one or more meters or customers.

FIG. 26 is an example schematic user interface 2000 for activating oneor more utility resource usage capture components. As discussed above inconnection with FIG. 23, the user interface 2000 is configured toreceive one or more bar codes of utility resource usage capturecomponents/devices, for installation. Upon selection of the “submit foractivation” button, the selected components can initiate communicationvia satellite.

FIG. 27 is an example schematic user interface 2100 for displayingactivation status of one or more utility resource usage capturecomponents. As illustrated, various units can be tracked which haveeither had activation requested but not yet executed (i.e., after step1704), or for which activation has been performed (i.e., after step1706). FIG. 28 depicts a user interface 2200 for selecting one or morelocations to be associated with a particular utility resource usagecapture component. This user interface can be used in connection withstep 1708 of FIG. 23, discussed above.

FIG. 29 is an example schematic user interface 2300 for generatinginstallation sheets for use by an installer to complete installation ofone or more utility resource usage capture components. The userinterface 2300 includes a listing of selected utility resource usagecapture components, and upon selection of a “Print Install Sheets”option 2302, will generate partially populated install sheets with anaddress and a meter identifier, such that the associated utilityresource usage capture component can be associated with the meter on thesheet. This user interface can also be used in connection with step 1708of FIG. 23, discussed above.

FIGS. 30-31 represent user interfaces 2400-2500 used for web-entry ofinstallation details regarding one or more utility resource usagecapture components, for example to capture specific informationregarding the manner of installation, including the specific GPS readingat the installation location, an initial meter read, a meter readobtained using a diagnostic tool, the installer's name, the direction ofaim of the utility resource usage capture component, type ofinstallation, type of mount of the component, and height of componentinstallation. Other information could be entered as well; however it isnoted that the information previously selected (address and unitidentifier) are pre-populated. These user interfaces can be used inconnection with step 1716 of FIG. 23, discussed above.

FIG. 32 is an example schematic user interface 2600 for validating aninstallation of a utility resource usage capture component at aparticular site or location. This user interface can be used inconnection with one or both of steps 1718, 1720 of FIG. 23, discussedabove.

FIGS. 33-34 are example user interfaces 2700-2800 for modifying andviewing details regarding a location of one or more utility resourceusage capture components associated with a particular billed resourceuser, or details regarding a particular billed customer location. Asseen in user interface 2700, a variety of data can be captured andtracked, such as the mailing address of the site, GPS location of thesite, alert thresholds, meter reads, meter model number, account contactinformation, and other information. As seen in user interface 2800,operational status of a component at the particular location can beviewed.

D. Reporting Systems

Once utility resource usage capture components are installed andoperational, it is generally valuable to monitor usage of a utilityresource, to determine how the particular resource has been used, andwhether any problems are being experienced by resource users. Referringnow to FIGS. 35-39, various dashboards and analysis tools are providedby the web application 1600, for example in the reporting module 1608,for analyzing resource usage. Again, although discussed herein withreference to water usage data, it is recognized that the reportingfeatures discussed herein could have a variety of additionalapplications.

Referring specifically to FIG. 35, an example user interface 2900 isshown that provides an administrative dashboard, according to an exampleembodiment. The administrative dashboard is generally configured toprovide a summary of issues relevant to a management user for a selectedperiod of time, for example relating to system malfunctions orpercentage success rate in obtaining data from utility resource usagecapture components. In the context of the present disclosure, amanagement user generally refers to a user responsible for managing theoverall system 10, rather than a particular utility provider or otherpossible customer using the system.

In the example shown, various types of errors or operational issues aresummarized, such as a number of sites having a utility resource usagecapture component and for which no reading was received, a number ofsites for which readings have not been received for two or more nights,or a number of sites that have not reported for three or more nights.Additional issues, such as a number of sites using a 10 second slot forsatellite communications or which switched satellites for communication(indicating issues with satellite connectivity) could be summarized aswell. Other issues relevant to system malfunctions, such as error codesor low/dead battery levels can be summarized as well.

FIG. 36 illustrates a user interface 3000 providing a dashboard relevantto a water utility, according to an example embodiment. The userinterface 3000 includes a total water usage among all billed watermeters, for example based on an aggregate amount reported from utilityresource usage capture components. A chart 3002 comparing that day toprevious days could be provided, as well as a summary of possibleresource usage issues, such as a high flow alarm 3004 at a particularutility resource usage capture component (indicating the possibility ofa burst pipe or other issue) as well as a non-report summary 3006(indicating the number and identity of utility resource usage capturecomponents that have not reported and which are affiliated with theparticular water utility). In addition, a summary 3008 of a number ofsites operating using a special “fast polling” mode is provided,indicating a number of sites under close observation due toabnormalities detected by the system (e.g., X % above typical usageindicating a possible error).

FIG. 37 illustrates a user interface 3100 providing a dashboard relevantto a water user, according to an example embodiment. The user interface3100 includes a historical usage chart 3102 for that user over a past xnumber of days, as well as total water usage over a previous period,such as a month, and year over year totals and comparisons for aparticular water user and associated site (i.e., a site associated witha water user, representing readings received from a meter associatedwith that user). A daily reading column 3104 allows the user to vieweach daily reading from his/her meters. An alarms area including a highflow alarm field 3106 and a non-read alert field 3108 allow the user topersonally view when a utility resource usage capture componentassociated with his/her water meter is non-functional, or if a high flowevent requires investigation.

FIG. 38 illustrates a user interface 3200 providing a dashboard relevantrepresenting a fast reporting action, according to an exampleembodiment. As mentioned above, fast reporting is a process which mayoccur upon detection of an error or anomaly at a particular utilityresource usage capture component, such as a high flow event. A fastreporting action can include, for example, hourly reporting, rather thandaily reporting of meter readings, to allow a user (e.g., a resourceuser, a resource provider, or a management user) to detect whether anerror may exist, or whether the anomaly is attributable to use at aparticular time of day. The user interface 3200 includes a chart 3202showing water usage over a predetermined period by date and time, aswell as a table 3204 of readings occurring during the fast reportingprocess.

FIG. 39 illustrates a user interface 3300 illustrating zone analysismetrics available via a web application, according to an exampleembodiment. In the embodiment shown, the user interface 3300 allows auser (typically a management user or a resource provider, such as awater district) to select a time period and create a report indicatingaverage usage at various zones of a water district, such as district 200of FIG. 2. In the embodiment shown, a chart area 3302 compares waterusage at billed meters to water flow through a line meter to determine adiscrepancy between the two, for example due to an unregulated tap,burst pipe, or other loss (e.g., leakage). A table 3304 illustrates aname of a billed user or zone, as well as a meter identifier and a meterreading indicating water usage or flow through that location. Acalculated usage column in the table 3304 allows the user to view usageat a zone versus usage at a particular billed location. In particular, aloss column 3306 in the table 3304 calculates the difference between theaggregated billed water meters and flow through a line meter, todetermine the unbilled, uncaptured water loss of the zone of the waterdistrict. Additionally, a report generation option 3308 allows a user togenerate a report document representing the data as viewed in the zoneanalysis interface 3300.

Referring now to FIGS. 1-39 generally, it can be seen that the methodsand systems provided herein, in particular when used in connection witha utility resource usage capture component providing low-power automatedsatellite communication of meter readings for aggregation and analysis,provide a number of advantages. For example, the systems of the presentdisclosure can be distributed over a wide geographical area withlimited, if any, effect on ease of data capture and monitoring.

For effective water usage monitoring and management, it is generallyimportant to provide three aspects of a system. First, it is importantto provide a system in which all assets or features are accessible viathe system. The methods and systems of the present disclosure providefor this by ensuring that even assets or resources that are widelygeographically dispersed can be accessible to a water management system.Second, it is important to aggregate those readings for review at acentralized location. Using the satellite-based system described here,aggregation is made possible regardless of otherwise-present challengesregarding power and data. Finally, it can be important to provideregular measurements from each of such assets, to ensure that any issuesthat arise within the system can be quickly detected and addressed. Thisis often not possible in the case in a manually reported system, orsystem of patchwork, incompatible meter reporting devices. That isbecause uniform measurement and reporting is generally incompatible withissues of access and aggregation. However, the present methods andsystems overcome the challenges of previous systems by providing anefficiently connected and flexibly deployed system for tracking water orother asset/utility management and usage.

Additionally, the systems of the present disclosure can be distributedin areas where data or power connections are not generally available,and do not affect resource flow in a meter (i.e., they do not self-powerthrough parasitic power draw from the resource, whether on a power lineor due to installation of a power generating feature along a waterline). Furthermore, the systems of the present disclosure have thecapability of validation and installation of a system such that eachcomponent can have its operational status monitored alongside theresource usage monitoring provided by that component. Additionaladvantages are apparent as well, and are reflected in the featuresrecited in the following claims.

Embodiments of the present invention, for example, are described abovewith reference to block diagrams and/or operational illustrations ofmethods, systems, and computer program products according to embodimentsof the invention. The functions/acts noted in the blocks may occur outof the order as shown in any flowchart. For example, two blocks shown insuccession may in fact be executed substantially concurrently or theblocks may sometimes be executed in the reverse order, depending uponthe functionality/acts involved.

While certain embodiments of the invention have been described, otherembodiments may exist. Furthermore, although embodiments of the presentinvention have been described as being associated with data stored inmemory and other storage mediums, data can also be stored on or readfrom other types of computer-readable media, such as secondary storagedevices, like hard disks, floppy disks, or a CD-ROM, a carrier wave fromthe Internet, or other forms of RAM or ROM. Further, the disclosedmethods' stages may be modified in any manner, including by reorderingstages and/or inserting or deleting stages, without departing from theinvention. In various embodiments, the types of networks used forcommunication between the computing devices that make up the presentinvention include, but are not limited to, an internet, an intranet,wide area networks (WAN), local area networks (LAN), and virtual privatenetworks (VPN).

The description and illustration of one or more embodiments provided inthis application are not intended to limit or restrict the scope of theinvention as claimed in any way. The embodiments, examples, and detailsprovided in this application are considered sufficient to conveypossession and enable others to make and use the best mode of claimedinvention. The claimed invention should not be construed as beinglimited to any embodiment, example, or detail provided in thisapplication. Regardless of whether shown and described in combination orseparately, the various features (both structural and methodological)are intended to be selectively included or omitted to produce anembodiment with a particular set of features. Having been provided withthe description and illustration of the present application, one skilledin the art may envision variations, modifications, and alternateembodiments falling within the spirit of the broader aspects of theclaimed invention and the general inventive concept embodied in thisapplication that do not depart from the broader scope.

1. A system for monitoring a utility resource, the system comprising: aplurality of utility resource usage capture components, each utilityresource usage capture component including a utility resource meterinterface and a satellite communication module, the utility resourcemeter interface configured to communicate with a plurality of differenttypes of utility resource meters from a plurality of differentmanufacturers, each of the plurality of utility resource usage capturecomponents having a low power state and an operational state andconfigured to automatically enter the operational state, interrogate anassociated utility resource meter to obtain a reading and communicatethe reading via the satellite communication module, and return to thelow power state; a utility resource management computing systemcommunicatively connected to a satellite communications network, theutility resource management computing system storing informationregarding a location of each of the plurality of utility resource usagecapture components and configured to receive and store readings fromeach of the plurality of utility resource usage capture components. 2.The system of claim 1, further comprising a satellite communicationnetwork communicatively coupled between each of the plurality of utilityresource usage capture components and the utility resource managementcomputing system.
 3. The system of claim 1, wherein each of theplurality of utility resource usage capture components is positioned ata different resource usage location of a utility resource distributionsystem, thereby allowing the utility resource management computingsystem to track information regarding utility resource usage across theentire system.
 4. The system of claim 1, wherein the utility resourcecomprises water, and wherein the utility resource meter comprises awater meter.
 5. The system of claim 4, wherein water flow passing byeach utility resource meter and associated utility resource usagecapture component is unobstructed.
 6. The system of claim 1, whereineach of the plurality of utility resource usage capture components islocated at a predetermined location stored at the utility resourcemanagement computing system.
 7. The system of claim 1, wherein theutility resource meter interface comprises an interface selected from agroup of types of interfaces consisting of: a wired serial datainterface; a radio link interface; an optical link interface; a contactclosure interface; and a pulse interface.
 8. The system of claim 1,wherein the utility resource management computing system includes adatabase storing associations between each of the plurality of utilityresource usage capture components and both a resource user and aresource provider.
 9. The system of claim 1, wherein each of theplurality of utility resource usage capture components lack a connectionto an external power source.
 10. The system of claim 1, wherein theutility resource is a resource selected from a group of utilityresources consisting of: a water utility; an electrical utility; a gasutility; an oil well; an irrigation management system; a water rightsmanagement and monitoring system; and a gas storage monitoring system.11. A method of monitoring usage of a utility resource, the methodcomprising: associating a plurality of utility resource usage capturecomponents with a plurality of utility resource meters within a utilitynetwork, the plurality of utility resource meters including utilityresource meters made by a plurality of different manufacturers, each ofthe plurality of utility resource usage capture components having a lowpower state and an operational state; capturing an identity of eachutility resource usage capture component and associating the identitywith a location of the utility resource meter, a resource user, and autility; and automatically receiving, via a satellite communicationlink, periodic updates from each of the plurality of utility resourcemeters at the associated plurality of utility resource usage capturecomponents.
 12. The method of claim 11, wherein automatically receivingperiodic updates comprises receiving daily updates from each of theplurality of utility resource meters.
 13. The method of claim 12,wherein automatically receiving periodic updates occurs at a utilityresource management computing system.
 14. The method of claim 13,further comprising, upon detecting an anomaly in utility resource usagebased on the periodic updates, transmitting a command from the utilityresource management computing system to one or more utility resourceusage capture components, thereby altering a frequency at which periodicupdates are received from those one or more utility resource usagecapture components.
 15. The method of claim 11, further comprisingstoring each of the periodic updates in a resource usage database. 16.The method of claim 15, wherein each periodic update includes a meterreading, a timestamp, and an identity of a utility resource usagecapture component from which it is received.
 17. The method of claim 16,wherein storing each of the periodic updates in a resource usagedatabase includes associating each update with a corresponding resourceconsumer and resource provider.
 18. The method of claim 15, furthercomprising providing a web interface to the database accessible at leastto a resource consumer and a resource provider.
 19. A water monitoringsystem comprising: a plurality of water usage capture componentspositioned at known locations each communicatively connected to adifferent installed water meter across a water district, each waterusage capture component lacking a connection to an external power sourceand wherein water flow passing each water meter and associated waterusage capture component is unobstructed, the water usage capturecomponents each including: a water meter interface configured tocommunicate with a plurality of different types of water meters from aplurality of different manufacturers, each of the plurality of waterusage capture components having a low power state and an operationalstate and configured to automatically enter the operational state,interrogate an associated water meter to obtain a reading, and return tothe low power state; and a satellite communication module configured tocommunicate the reading to a remote system; a water management computingsystem communicatively connected to a message relay device of asatellite communications network, the water management computing systemincluding a water management database storing information regarding alocation of each of the plurality of water usage capture components andconfigured to receive and store readings from each of the plurality ofwater usage capture components.
 20. The water monitoring system of claim19, wherein each of the known locations are dispersed across a ruralwater district and include locations lacking power or datacommunications capabilities.
 21. The water monitoring system of claim19, further comprising a satellite communication network communicativelycoupled between each of the plurality of utility resource usage capturecomponents and the utility resource management computing system, whereinthe satellite communication network includes a message relay device. 22.The water monitoring system of claim 19, wherein each of the pluralityof water usage capture components is positioned at a different waterusage location of a water district, thereby allowing the watermanagement computing system to track information regarding water usageacross the entire water district.